by Jenn Windrow

It’s that joyful time of year when we agonize over what to get our loved ones, friends, and coworkers for Christmas. Searching on end for that perfect gift. Something they will love, use, and cherish for years to come. Something that won’t be regifted at next year’s white elephant exchange.

Well, if you have a writer in your life, you’re in luck! Being one myself, I decided to come up with a list of ten things that I use almost daily in my author life. Hopefully, your author will love them too!

Here are a few of my favorite things!

The TUL notebook system

Why do I love this? I write most of my novels by hand and traditional notebooks take up a lot of space on a bookcase. But since this notebook has refillable pages, I can write to my heart’s content, then when I am all done, pull out the pages, binder clip them together, and store them nice and flat in a drawer or a filing cabinet. When I am ready to start a new book, I refill the pages in the notebook and start all over again.

This notebook is truly one of my favorite things and has a permanent place on my desk.

Buy it here…

Scriveiner Black Lacquer Rollerball Pen

Most writers love pens. And there are some lovely ones on the market that won’t break the bank. I mean everyone would like to get a Mont Blanc, but you don’t have to spend a Mont Blanc amount of money to have a great writing tool. Personally, I love the Sharpie brand pens, they glide smooth, the ink doesn’t bleed, and they fit nice and comfy in my hand, but those aren’t what I would call fancy.

But this pen here is beautiful, has great reviews, and would look like you broke the bank by buying it for that special writer in your life.

Buy it here…

Large-sized Post-it Notes

Post-it notes are a must-have for the writer in your life. I especially love the larger-sized lined ones. I can write changes to my manuscript on them and either stick them in my notebook or on printed pages. This is really handy when you have a large number of changes on a page and scribbling in the margins just won’t cut it anymore. Plus, these make a great stocking stuffer.

Buy them here…

A fancy (or fun) mug

A mug may seem like an unusual gift, but I know I love getting them. Most writers sit at their desk with a cup of coffee or tea, furiously typing out words between staring out the window in frustration. Why not have a mug that advertises their fun job? I did an Amazon search for writer’s mugs and picked one of the first ones I found, but they have many different kinds. I will admit I have a few in my cupboard!

Buy it here…

The Lego typewriter

This one is totally silly, but I adore my Lego typewriter. So, if you have a writer in your life who also loves to build Legos during their free time, this is not only fun, but it is adorable as well. Mine is displayed proudly on my bookshelf in my office. Plus, it totally sticks with the writer theme!

Buy it here…

Scrivener

This one truly is the gift of WRITING!

Scrivener is a writing, plotting, organizing software for writers. It is a great product and when you buy a license it’s a one time purchase for the lifetime of the product. The great news is, it used to only be for MAC, but now you can use it on a PC too!

Buy it here…

Vellum or Atticus

Both Vellum and Atticus are formatting software that any self-published author should have in their arsenal. The main difference between the two is that Vellum can only be used on the MAC. Both do a wonderful job of creating beautiful print and eBooks that any writer would be proud to call their own.

Buy Vellum here…

Buy Atticus Here...

The Emotion Thesaurus

If the writer in your life hasn’t heard of The Emotion Thesaurus, they are missing out! This is one of the greatest craft books ever written. It helps writers really dig deep into writing emotions. Mine sits next to me on my desk, and my copy is very well-worn.

Here’s something fun: there are several books in the series. If you are looking for more craft books, you can’t go wrong with these wonderful writing companions written by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. (They're also contributors here at WITS!)

Buy it here…

Publisher Rocket

If you have an author in your life, whether they are self-published or trad published, the gift of Publisher Rocket will be well received. This software will help them find keywords, categories, comp titles, and books to use to run ads. To me, this is a must-have in any author's arsenal! (And right now Lifetime access is $199.)

https://publisherrocket.com/

Love and Support

This one can’t be placed in a box, wrapped with fancy paper and a pretty bow, and placed under a tree. But it’s free, and probably the most needed gift of any author.

Writing is like baring your soul on paper and it’s hard. Really hard. But a kind word of encouragement, or listening when they need to discuss a plot, or just want to babble about their characters, a great line they wrote, or how frustrated they are about their WIP will mean the world to the writer in your life.

One of the best gifts you can offer is showing them you love and support them.

Thank you for reading...and a very happy holiday season to all the WITS readers! See you in the New Year!

Have any more holiday gift ideas for the writer in your life, leave a comment and share the joy.

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About Jenn

Sass. Snark. Supernatural Sizzle. 

Award winning author of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. Vampires, Greek gods, and a bit of Demon Destroyer fun for everyone.

Jenn Windrow loves characters who have a pinch of spunk, a dash of attitude, and a large dollop of sex appeal. Top it all off with a huge heaping helping of snark, and you’ve got the ingredients for the kind of fast-paced stories she loves to read and write. Home is a suburb of it’s-so-hot-my-shoes-have-melted-to-the-pavement Phoenix. Where she lives with her husband, two teenagers, and a slew of animals that seem to keep following her home, at least that’s what she claims.

Website: https://jennwindrow.com/

Top photo purchased from Depositphotos. All others are from Jennifer Windrow.